OP-ED: Why I can't support Tom Wolf for governor

Itís where I was born and raised. Itís where I returned after college in Florida and after serving my country as a fighter pilot for six years in the Air Force with a year flying 158 combat missions in Southeast Asia.

Itís where I returned to join the family sewing business and buy another small business that same year. It is where I have stayed, expanding the company into a global manufacturer of dance and gymnastic apparel with nearly 400 associates.

The arts, my work and giving back to my community have always been my passion, and Iíve met many wonderful people along the way who care about York as deeply as I do.

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One of them is Tom Wolf. Iíve known Tom and his family for many years, and consider several of them friends. They are of the highest character, and we all appreciate what they have done to enrich our lives and this community.

So when he decided to run for governor, it certainly raised a lot of buzz in our community at the possibility of having someone from our backyard in the governorís mansion.

Tom and I chatted, and I was initially impressed with what I thought to be the beginnings of a plan that wasnít beholden to ideology, but would continue to put our community and Pennsylvania on the map.

So after contributing to his primary campaign and seeing his plan outlined in detail a few months later, I was disappointed to see just the opposite.

The name of his campaign platform, ďFresh Start,Ē itself implies wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch, instead of developing strategies to fix and improve what we have.

As a local business leader, Iíve been pleased with the new direction Pennsylvania has taken under Gov. Tom Corbett these last four years. It was a sharp turn from the tax-and-spend culture that had for too long controlled Harrisburg.

So I thought if Tom Wolf is willing to scratch that, he must have some pretty good ideas with which to replace it.

Unfortunately, I discovered just more of the same, more of the past, more of the far-left ideology that had broken Harrisburg to begin with. More government, higher taxes, redistribution of wealth, more spending, more regulations and a complete endorsement of Obamacare.

There were a lot of nice-sound bites and rhetoric, but nothing to define the problems, or address the serious issues such as the $50 billion pension crisis that impacts every Pennsylvanianís property tax bill.

There were revelations the plan was crafted, and in some places plagiarized, from others, underscoring these plans were not his own. Since returning to York, I approached my passions, my future and the future of my company with my guiding vision. It was unfortunate that Tom hasnít done the same in his plans for Pennsylvaniaís future.

His platform touched on issues such as the Delaware loophole. Even though we have since learned that Tomís company itself is incorporated in Delaware, he does little to address the real problem.

There will always be loopholes to fix, but what we should look to instead is to identify the problems and provide solutions.

We should strive to make Pennsylvania stronger and more competitive, so companies donít have to look to Delaware or other states to call home. We should strive for a welcoming business environment that nurtures growth and takes advantage of our energy, unique characteristics, geography and location. An environment that works in partnership with the private sector to put Pennsylvanians back to work.

I believe we have done that, and more, over the last several years under Gov. Corbettís leadership ó so why would we wipe the slate clean with a Fresh Start now?

For these reasons and many more, I cannot and will not, support Tom Wolf.

His plan is not good for jobs, for taxpayers, for businesses. His plan would hinder Pennsylvaniaís prosperity by starting over and taking us backwards.

Iím very proud to support Gov. Corbett, who has been successfully implementing his vision these last several years to make Pennsylvania a better place to live, work, raise a family and retire.

He eliminated a $4.2 billion budget deficit he inherited and balanced four straight budgets without raising taxes.

He saved taxpayers $690 million just in new efficiencies and reforms, while reducing the size of government to the lowest point in 50 years.

As unemployment has fallen from 8.1 percent to 5.7 percent, the private sector has created more than 180,000 new jobs.

Heís invested in a stronger workforce and better infrastructure and seen Pennsylvania use its natural resources to safely provide cheaper energy.

He has put Pennsylvania back on track to being more fiscally responsible and more competitive, and we cannot afford to lose that momentum.

His vision has built a stronger Pennsylvania, and I know he still has more he wants to accomplish in a second term.

If you want to see York, and Pennsylvania, continue to thrive, I encourage you to give Tom Corbett that opportunity this November, and re-elect him for four more years.

Tighe King is CEO and chairman of Perform Group, LLC, based in York. The company manufactures performance apparel primarily for the global markets of dance and gymnastics.